The Hallmarked Man (Cormoran Strike, #8)

by Robert Galbraith

This, he supposed, was the most extreme manifestation of a phenomenon with which he was only too familiar: a woman absolutely refusing to accept that her partner wasn’t what she thought him.

Strike sat, phone in hand, wondering whether he should apologise to Robin even in the absence of a first text from her. He knew perfectly well that punishing her for not reciprocating feelings he’d never voiced was the behaviour of a total arsehole.

‘I’m so sorry,’ said Robin. ‘This must be incredibly painful to talk about.’ ‘It’s less painful to talk about it than to think about it, all day, every day,’